This invention relates to point-of-sale systems and, in particular, to point-of-sale systems, which utilize both a scale and a scanner.
It is customary in supermarkets and certain other retail environments, where food is sold, to utilize a point-of-sale system having an optical scanner and a scale at designated checkout counters. Bar codes on objects or articles being purchased are read by the scanner so as to permit identification of the articles. Non-bar coded articles, priced per units of weight, are weighed by the scale and the total weight is communicated to the checkout terminal, which is situated at the checkout counter. The checkout terminal then computes the price of the article.
In most point-of-sale systems in present use, the scanner is physically separate from the scale. These separate locations require a checkout clerk to move articles a greater distance and perform more lifting. The combination of greater distance and fatigue increase the checkout time.
A number of checkout systems have been designed to alleviate the excessive handling and, hence, speed-up the check-out process. U.S. Pat No. 4,881,606, issued Nov. 21, 1989, for "Point-Of-Sale Apparatus" discloses a weighing scale which is adapted to be placed directly over an optical scanner. Such placement of the weighing scale enables the operator to perform both the article weighing and article identification at the same time, thereby speeding up check-out time and reducing operator fatigue.
Other systems have been designed in which the optical scanner and scale have been incorporated or combined into an integrated unit. These systems also allow for continual scanning and weighing at a central location, thereby likewise reducing check-out time. Examples of such integrated systems are NCR's Model 7824, Spectra Physics' Model 760 SLS and ICL/Datachecker's ORION scanner/scale units.
In addition to shorter check-out time, another concern in designing point-of-sale scanner/scale systems is to realize enhanced life expectancy of the system components. In the scanner portion of the system, there are two primary sources of failure. One is the laser tube, which typically degrades over a useful life ranging from ten thousand hours to twenty thousand hours. The other is the spindle motor used to rotate a mirror assembly which interacts with the laser to generate a scanning beam. The bearings of the motor wear and become noisy over a useful life ranging from eight thousand hours to fifteen thousand hours.
In present systems, increased life expectancy of these components is realized by shutting off the power to the components when the scanner is not in use. In most systems an on/off switch is provided and the operator is directed to turn the power off whenever the scanner is idle for a predetermined time period. However, in practice, this is frequently forgotten, resulting in continual scanner operation. There are also known scanners which contain logic to automatically power down critical components when no valid bar codes are detected over a predetermined time period. In one scanner of this type, the scanner is restarted by the operator pressing a manual restart button which is located on top of the scanner. In another scanner, the operator must make a scanning motion past a proximity detector.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a scanner/scale system in which power is provided to the scanner components in an improved manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scanner/scale system in which power is provided to the scanner components in a way which improves their life expectancy and which reduces the need for conscious intervention by an operator.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to realize the above-stated objects in a scanner/scale system in which the scanner and scale are integrated into a single unit.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a scale for achieving the aforementioned objects.